Gender Construction, Impacts and Perception of Thai Women
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Social Science Asia, Volume 6 Number 1, p: 27-42 CRITICAL FEMINIST ANALYSIS: GENDER CONSTRUCTION, IMPACTS AND PERCEPTION OF THAI WOMEN Thitaree Lapanaphan1, Suphisara Chinakkarapong2 Abstract This research paper will illustrate female gender construction within Thai society, as how it is built through state agencies and how they represent women in public. Additional purpose of this paper is to raise awareness and promote ideas based on critical feminism in Thai society. There have been concerns of representation of women and its relation to the national identity and state’s construction of beauty that dictate women in their perception of being Thai women. It is relevant to contemporary social phenomenon, especially social discussion about roles and performance of women should take on in both public and private sphere. My analysis hence center on a process of gender construction where female gender is continuously served as images of the nation as well as portrayed importance of gender role regardless of real gender empowerment of women. Key words: Women, Thailand, Gender Construction, Feminism, Gender Role, Representation 1. INTRODUCTION the discourse. You only see the Thai lady with smiley faces do the “wai” everywhere We all are familiar with the at tourist places. That kind of image “Amazing Thailand” but how many would becomes part of the “Amazing Thailand” actually know the real “Amazing Thailand? program. As much as Thai people concern so much Gender construction and Thai about their “faces”, Thailand encourage a female representation in Thailand are the cruciality of appearance and surfaces. main theme of this paper. They are the These surfaces are often gendered and process of the state and society itself, and transformed through representation and they are not static. These two processes practices focused on women as visual icons change over time in accordance with (Van Esterik, 2000). Van Esterik stated that governments’ policies and Thai culture that gendered performs such as contests and evolves throughout history. Following the state rituals fetishize national surfaces work of Penny Van Esterik, Materializing materialize the heart of Thainess, Thailand, I argue that gender construction improving international images and tourist and female representation are socially and application. Therefore, surfaces and the culturally created by the state for its own country’s images are extremely effective. purposes. We will look closely as to how The surfaces and images are taken for women perceive and understand the authentic without any critical analysis of concept of “Kulasatrii Thai” and what 1Thitaree Lapanaphan is currently studying Master of International and Administrative Policy at Hitotsubashi University, Japan. Her main interests include politics, history, international relations, and gender studies, E-mail: [email protected] 2Suphisara Chinakkarapong is currently pursuing Master of Education at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her main interests include educational policy studies and leadership, sociology of curriculum, gender studies, and multiculturalism in education, E-mail: [email protected] Received: June 19, 2019; Revised: July 23, 2019; Accepted: July 26, 2019 27 Official Journal of National Research Council of Thailand in conjunction with the International Journal of Multiculturalism and Education, Chiang Mai University Social Science Asia, Volume 6 Number 1, p: 27-42 gender roles that woman adopt in which I assertion to speak from women’s believe it makes women remain inferior to experiences. According to Kushner (2003), men. Also, impacts on women by assuming critical feminist theory departed as “a such a mindset are to be studied to portray normative concern with the status of gender relations that artificially constructed women, and empirical focus on conditions by the state. that have produced domination in gender This paper illustrates how female relations.” 4 Critical feminist analysis is gender is built and discuss how these important not only to make girls’ and representations of female gender by states women’s perspectives visible, but also to have effects or impacts on Thai females. interpret information from the standpoint of The author uses critical feminist theory to their diverse experiences in order to explain in order to understand gender roles, influence policymaking in regards to gender relations and gender inequalities of women’s rights.5 Additionally, critical Thai society through the case study of feminist theory requires us to re-evaluate National Beauty Contests. our understanding of power, knowledge, and space of empowerment. It provides I. Theoretical Perspective of critical various ways to consider about disturbing feminist the principle, issue hegemonic understanding of oppression while also Critical feminist framework to some looking at other different ways and forms of extent overlaps and many times draw on resistance within each phenomenon as a other critical approaches. Critical theory way to think differently about social events concentrates on thoughts and ideas on how and transforming gender relations.6 injustice and subjugation shape people’s Another aspect of prime importance experiences and understanding of the that critical feminists are conscious of, and world.1 According to Martin (2002), both sensitive to, is the fact that women’s critical and feminist theory share common experiences can be different across time, interest in economic and social inequalities. culture, class, race, ethnicity and age. Moreover, they both move toward an Therefore, no experience can claim agenda in promoting change in society.2 ‘universal authentic status.’ 7 According to Although they share the common objective McKay (2004), critical feminist analysts of challenging existing distribution of accept that patriarchy privileges men, they power and resource, what differentiates also state that patriarchal societies may critical feminist theories from others differ in Euro-American, non-western and critical agendas is the consideration on other indigenous cultures, similarly, gender equality.3 A Critical feminist will circumstances of women living in different not only look at gender issues but also cultures will also vary. It is equally social inequity, and put the focal point on significant not to representing all women as initiating change. Its unique strength is the a group, either in the case of security needs, 1 Michael Quinn Patton, "Feminist, yes, But Is It Theoretical Triangulation,” Advance Nursing Evaluation?" New Directions for Evaluation 2002, Science 26, 1. (2003): 30-43. 96. (2002): 97-108. 5 Susan McKay, “Women, Human Security, and 2 Joanne Martin, Feminist theory and critical Peace Building: A Feminist Analysis,” Conflict and theory: unexplored synergies (Stanford, CA: Human Security: A Search for New Approaches of Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Peace-building. (2004): 152-175. 2002). 1. 6 Jennifer De Saxe, “Conceptualizing Critical 3 Deborah L Rhode, “Feminist Critical Theories,” Feminist Theory and Emancipatory Education,” Stanford Law Review 42, 3. (1990): 617-639. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 10, 2. 4 Kaysi Eastlick Kushner, “Grounded theory, (2012): 184-199. Feminist theory, Critical theory: Toward 7 Rhode, “Feminist Critical Theories,” 625. 28 Official Journal of National Research Council of Thailand in conjunction with the International Journal of Multiculturalism and Education, Chiang Mai University Social Science Asia, Volume 6 Number 1, p: 27-42 or other fields. Women’s experiences and Van Esterik (1996) argues on the politics of worldview need to be understood with a beauty in Thailand, characteristic of reference of the context they live in. Hence, gentleness and virtue are interlaced with non-western women have criticized elegance and beauty to construct a model of Western Feminists’ perception as they ideal Thai femininity. The Thai state has speak on behalf of all women intentionally been involved in the preservation of this without considering different cultures or model and has been making use of it as part social condition. 8 of building the nation through many In this research paper, I will be projects since 1930s. 9 looking at how the way Thai state actually States, most of the time, involve constructs and portrays female gender with the emergence and construction of effect on women’s perception of gender. During the years from 1939-1944, themselves, in which, state seems to aims at gender ideology of female in the empowerment of Thai women. We will establishment of national identities was look at the process of gender construction conceptualized into the ideology of ‘Flower to prove that the Thai state does not of the Nation’ in the country. Thailand then empower but rather treats women more like was under military regime of Field Marshal sex objects through the case study of Phibunsongkhram. It is a booming period national beauty contest. If you look closely of Thai nation building with his policy to the structure of Thai society, women attempting to build a ‘new nation’ with an empowerment by state is still low compare ultimate goal of maintaining the country’s to other states of the West. Critical feminist independence throughout the threat of theory will explain many issues of power Western colonization.10 The issues of relation between men and women as well as women and the construction of ideal hegemonic culture that lies within Thai femininity was clearly one of the culture. government’s